


like a candle in the rain

by kihyuks



Series: jooheon bingo (unique aus) [3]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Asexual Character, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Modern Era, Modern Royalty, Secret Identity, Slow Burn, kihyun and minhyuk are princes, side showhyung
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2020-04-05 06:36:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19043146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kihyuks/pseuds/kihyuks
Summary: prince kihyun, the illegitimate son of the king, is not allowed to leave the palace. to the outside world, he doesn't exist, known only to those who live and work within the palace walls. one day, kihyun sneaks out of the palace and meets a boy called jooheon, who he quickly grows fond of. however, kihyun hasn't told jooheon of his real identity, and he doesn't know how to go about it. the longer he waits, the bigger the lie grows, and the more chance jooheon has of finding out.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> for the **secret identity** square.
> 
> my final fic for jooheon bingo yeet!! this was originally meant to be a 6k oneshot but it developed into a monster which uhh currently has 30 chapters completely planned out so Strap In bc this is going to be a long one (im leaving the chapter count as ? so it looks less intimidating to people for now dont jduge me pls)
> 
> this is like a modern setting but like imagine social media doesnt rly exist

Kihyun has _nothing_ to do.

He’s laying on his bed, his head hanging over the edge, as he throws a ball into the air and catches it. Repeatedly.

He’s _bored_.

You’d think being the illegitimate son of the King and his servant who’s hidden from the public’s knowledge would leave Kihyun in a better situation than his brother, Minhyuk, who day in day out is busy, having to do interviews and appearances and is constantly working.

Sometimes, though, Kihyun thinks Minhyuk is far better off than he is.

He’s a prince, but he’s a prince that no one is aware of, so he’s trapped in the palace. And it’s _not_ fun.

Sometimes, on the rare occasion he actually gets to talk to his father, he asks for permission to explore outside of the palace grounds. “No one knows I exist so no one will recognise me. It will be safe,” he says every time.

And every time he’s met with a resounding no.

Kihyun groans, flopping his arm over his eyes to cover them.

All he wants to do is experience something new for once. He’s been stuck here for twenty years, never once having ventured outside of the walls, and he knows the palace and the gardens inside out.

He used to love going out in the gardens, experiencing the fresh air, seeing the birds and the insects, but the novelty wore off after so many years. Now, he spends his days holed up in his room.

Kihyun has friends within the palace, many of the workers he’s become quite close to, and he has Minhyuk, of course, when he’s not busy doing his royal duties, but still. Kihyun can’t help but want to experience something new. He wants to know what it’s like outside the walls he’s been trapped in.

What are the people out there like? He wonders what he could learn from all those many people he has no chance to interact with in his current situation. People are filled with knowledge and individual experiences that are worth sharing and Kihyun wishes he could speak to those people, hear their stories. He’s learnt a lot already from the workers in the palace, but there are so many more people and stories and things to learn out there.

“All your blood is going to rush to your head, you know.”

Kihyun’s head snaps up, but the sudden movement throws him off balance and sends him tumbling to the floor. He hisses when his head smacks against the hardwood floor. That’ll definitely leave a bruise.

Kihyun sits up, trying to regain his composure, and is met with Hyungwon, his personal assistant, trying (and failing) to hide his giggles.

Kihyun rolls his eyes. “Just do it. Laugh at me.”

And Hyungwon does, a hand over his mouth as he giggles, the biggest smile on his face as he does. His laughter increases the longer Kihyun just sits there, on the floor where he fell, and Hyungwon laughs so hard he falls forward, his body unable to support itself.

Kihyun just lets him laugh. He knows he’d find it funny if it was the other way around, even if he isn’t a fan of being a laughing stock.

Hyungwon laughs for a while, but when he calms down with a deep breath he approaches Kihyun and pats him on the head. “You’re a dumb prince,” he says, the brightest smile on his face.

Kihyun smacks his hand away, but there’s a smile on his face. Hyungwon always cheers him up, even if it is by laughing at Kihyun and calling him dumb. He’s definitely who Kihyun would consider to be his best friend.

“You are not allowed to bully me. I am the prince.”

This time it’s Hyungwon’s turn to roll his eyes. “Doesn’t stop you from being a dumbass, dumbass.”

Kihyun lightly punches Hyungwon’s arm, not hard enough to hurt him because he knows Hyungwon is a delicate soul.

Hyungwon must remember he had a purpose to come into Kihyun’s room, and hurries over to his closet. He rifles through the clothes and Kihyun has to wonder what he’s looking for.

As if he read Kihyun’s mind, Hyungwon says, “Minhyuk was complaining he lost his favourite shirt to Jeongguk so I got sent over to check if there was a mix up and it’s in your room.” He reaches the end of the rail and sighs. “Looks like it’s not here. Guess Jeongguk is just going to have to be subjected to Minhyuk’s complaining.” He speaks deadpan, unsympathetic.

“You really sound like you care,” Kihyun chuckles.

“I’m just glad it’s not me, honestly.”

Kihyun hums in response. Finally deciding that his position on the floor isn’t actually very comfortable, he pushes himself up with a groan and returns to laying on his much more comfortable bed. “This bed is the only thing that makes me happy,” he says with a sigh, closing his eyes and relaxing back into it.

He doesn’t get to relax for long before he’s smacked in the face with something soft. A balled up shirt, he realises, when he opens his eyes. Kihyun glares at Hyungwon, who’s once again trying to control his laughter. “What was that for?”

“You implied I don’t make you happy, so I threw a shirt at you. Duh.” He starts giggling and Kihyun continues to glare in return.

“Of course you make me happy, idiot. You are not my best friend for nothing.”

Hyungwon gasps, loud and overexaggerated. “Prince Kihyun? Admitting I, Chae Hyungwon, a lowly servant, is his best friend?”

“I will come over there and smack you.” It’s an empty threat and Hyungwon knows it. Kihyun is all talk and no action. (Well, sometimes he’ll swat at Hyungwon, but only in a very loving way. He doesn’t _actually_ want to hurt him.)

Hyungwon grins, bows, and takes his leave. “Later, Your Highness.”

“I hate you,” Kihyun yells after him.

Only Hyungwon’s giggles can be heard.

 

* * *

 

The high, white ceiling of his bedroom can only be interesting for so long.

Kihyun rolls out of bed with a groan, stretching his arms above his head.

Normally, he’d be able to go bother some of the staff around the palace to find something to pass his time, but it’s his father’s biannual feast with various other royal families, so everyone’s busy setting up. Because Kihyun isn’t technically meant to exist, he’s not even invited to join the feast. He has to sit in his room and stay out of the way.

Kihyun really envies Minhyuk at times like this, being able to socialise with new people. But then he remembers all of Minhyuk’s responsibilities and his envy lessens.

As he wanders to and opens his door, he’s met with Changkyun’s shocked face. “Oh, Your High— Kihyun. I was just coming to change your sheets.” He lifts his hands, showing the new, clean bedsheets.

Kihyun smiles at Changkyun’s slip up of his title. He tells everyone in the palace to simply refer to him by name, but some of them, even his friends, can’t get it out of their system. Kihyun finds it endearing when it comes from Changkyun. Much different to how he feels when Hyungwon uses it with that sarcastic tone of his.

Kihyun moves out of the way to allow Changkyun to enter his room. “Thank you, Kyun.”

Changkyun bows as he passes Kihyun to enter his room. “Oh, by the way,” he says, pausing and turning back to Kihyun, “It’s my turn to serve food tonight, so we won’t be able to hang out tonight.”

Kihyun’s mood drops instantly, but he tries not to let it show on his face. It’s not Changkyun’s fault, after all. “No worries. We will find some other time, yes?”

Changkyun nods, bows once again and gets to changing Kihyun’s bed.

Kihyun trudges to the bathroom with a sigh. He’d been really looking forward to hanging out with Changkyun tonight. He makes a point to actually make plans with his friends in the palace, even if his father is against it, claiming a prince shouldn’t befriend the staff. Kihyun always ignores him. He loves the palace staff, and he sees no issue with being friends with any of them.

With the feast happening tonight, Kihyun knows he won’t have anything to do, which is why he made plans with Changkyun, assuming he wouldn’t be working tonight, being a room assistant and all.

Now, Kihyun wonders what he can do to pass his time. He can’t even bother Minhyuk — he’s attending the feast.

Kihyun pauses in front of one of the huge windows. With his chin resting on his hand, his elbow on the windowsill, he stares longingly out to the distant town, past the palace walls. He sees the houses of the lower town, the people bustling about their lives, and the further out cottages and mountains. It all interests him. He wonders what it’s really like out there, as all he knows is what he can see out of the window. He wishes he could leave the palace, spend his time outside with all the townspeople. But no, he’s trapped in these walls, where he always has been.

The idea hits him at that moment. It’s not uncommon for him to consider sneaking out. It’s usually a fleeting thought, gone as quickly as it reached his mind, but this time it lingers.

It wouldn’t be impossible. He knows where the secret door is at the back of the garden, hidden between the trees, that leads out to the forest to the north. He’s seen Hoseok enter the code many times, wishfully thinking about how much he wants to join Hoseok in leaving the palace. But Hoseok is a knight, not a prince who shouldn’t exist like Kihyun.

If he really wanted to, Kihyun could just explore the forest for a couple of hours. No one would notice that he’s missing — they’ll all be busy at the feast — and he wouldn’t be seen by anyone if he sticks to the forest. He just wants to explore, to see some new scenery.

So, with his decision made, Kihyun heads back to his room, more upbeat and determined than he was previously.

 

* * *

 

A sweet aroma drifts into Kihyun’s room. It fills his room with a pleasant scent, and Kihyun sniffs, wondering what the source is.

It can only be food, he realises. The staff must already be preparing meals for the feast. Kihyun’s stomach grumbles as if on cue.

He makes his way down to the kitchen. Even though he’s not allowed to join the feast, no one said he couldn’t steal some of the food before it begins. Well, maybe Hyunwoo would scold him for it, being the main chef and all, but everyone loves Kihyun too much to deny him of what he wants.

He finds plates and plates filled with food sitting on the counter. Unexpectedly, none of the staff are around.

So, Kihyun reaches out towards one of the dishes. His fingers are almost touching a piece of bread when a shout of his name startles him.

“Yoo Kihyun. What do you think you’re doing?”

Kihyun turns sheepishly to face Hyunwoo. “Stealing bread?”

Hyunwoo smiles fondly, then gestures to the plate he’s holding in his hand. “I made you your own dinner. Did you think I’d forget about my favourite Royal?”

“I am your favourite? Minhyuk will not be happy.” He makes grabby hands towards the plate.

Hyunwoo hands Kihyun his food with a laugh. “Is there anything else I can get you? Snacks for later?”

Kihyun’s stomach grumbles again, causing the both of them to burst into laughter.

“Well, that answers that. I’ll get some snacks for you.” And with that, Hyunwoo leaves to go back to the other room.

Kihyun places his plate down onto the counter and starts to dig in, standing there in the kitchen. He’d be scolded if his father saw him doing this, claiming that’s no way for a prince to act, a prince should never eat in a servant’s area, he should eat with the Royals in the dining room.

But really, what does it matter to Kihyun? No one knows he’s a prince outside of these walls.

Eating with the staff, his friends, brings him more joy than eating alone in a cold, large room, no matter how beautiful and elegant it may be.

Hyunwoo returns when Kihyun has almost finished his meal. He hands over a tub filled with all kinds of snacks and treats. “Here you go. Now you can have your own feast.”

“Thank you, Hyunwoo,” he says sincerely, thankful for the older man.

A wave of guilt washes over Kihyun when he thinks about his plan to sneak out of the palace. He feels like he’s betraying his friends by leaving.

But it won’t be permanent. He knows they understand his want to explore the world, see new things outside of these walls.

The only person who would consider it betrayal would be his father, he reminds himself. So, he just won’t get caught.

With a smile and a wave, Kihyun leaves Hyunwoo to get on with his job and returns to his room to wait for the feast to start so he can finally enact his plan.

 

* * *

 

With the feast now in full swing, Kihyun finally has his chance to leave. He’s waited until everyone’s too busy to notice when he slips out. He’s packed himself a small bag holding the leftover snacks Hyunwoo gave him and a watch, as he needs to be able to tell the time. He wears a worn t-shirt, more casual than his usual attire, in his attempt to blend in more with the townspeople. The shirt is Changkyun’s, left here on one of his days off when he came to visit Kihyun as his friend, not his room attendant, only to spill a drink down his shirt and have to borrow Kihyun’s clothes. Kihyun had washed his shirt for him, but forgotten to return it. Now, it comes in handy. He should blend in more this way. He can’t stick out like a sore thumb and risk being noticed, being clocked as a Royal, for he doesn’t exist in the eyes of the townspeople.

He doesn’t plan to be gone long, nor enter the town, only stick to the forest. He’d love to meet new people, but today he simply wants to go outside, explore the forest. The town can wait for another day.

He figures he has a few hours before the feast will be over, so as long as he times it well he’ll be fine.

He sneaks down the back staircase, the one the staff usually use, as opposed to the main staircase which is too near to the dining hall for his liking.

He makes it down without anyone seeing him and leaves out the back door to the gardens.

Kihyun knows there’ll be some guards around, they never leave the palace unguarded, even with the feast going on, but he’s memorised the gardens like the back of his hand so he knows the path to take to not be spotted.

It’s starting to dim outside. Kihyun prefers the sunlight, likes how it glows golden and warms his skin, but for his current mission it’s far better that it’s getting darker.

He makes it to the secret door without a hitch. It almost seems too easy. He wonders why he’s never tried this before.

Inputting the code he’s seen Hoseok enter more times than he can count, he prepares himself to see the outside. To finally experience life outside these palace walls.

The door clicks and Kihyun pushes it open. He takes his first step across the threshold.

It’s not much different outside the walls. There’s a large group of trees he has to trudge through, and then he’s out in the forest. Outside of the walls for the first time in his twenty years on this Earth.

Kihyun feels giddy. His heart beats fast. He’s finally, _finally_ free.

He meanders through the forest, taking in the new sights. The trees aren’t much different than those inside the walls, but they tower taller than any he’s seen. He hears birds singing songs he’s never heard, and many creatures he’s never seen before scuttle across the ground. It’s a whole new experience than what he’s ever known and it’s so special to Kihyun.

He wanders for a while, simply heading further to the north, deeper into the forest.

He comes to a clearing. The sound of rushing water catches his attention and he sees a river that cuts through the trees and across the clearing. Next to the river are some large, grey rocks.

On one of the rocks sits a boy.

Kihyun hides his body behind one of the trees and peeks around. He can only see the side of the boy’s face, but he looks serene. At peace.

Kihyun doesn’t want to disturb him. He told himself he’d only explore the forest, not speak to anyone. So, with that, he turns to leave. In doing so, he steps on a twig and it snaps in half with a loud crack.

Kihyun panics, turns around, and the boy is looking straight at him. He’s pretty, Kihyun notes. Soft, shiny orange hair frames his face and his lips are plush and pillowy.

The boy stares at Kihyun, shocked, before he smiles. “Hi there,” he says.

For a moment, Kihyun considers running away. But, he left the palace for a reason. He hasn’t interacted with anyone other than his family and the staff, and this might be the only chance he ever has. So, deciding to be brave, Kihyun replies. “Hello.”

The boy pats the rock next to him, a smile adorning his face. Kihyun considers for a moment whether to approach and join the boy. He could be dangerous, for all Kihyun knows.

Kihyun takes a step out from beside the tree, and the boy smiles wider. His smile is warm, welcoming.

Kihyun knows he needs to be cautious around people, if anyone were to discover that he’s the prince he doesn’t even dare imagine what could happen. The sort of danger he could be in.

But something about the boy is welcoming, his smile inviting, and Kihyun, not knowing anything about him and having shared a single word, feels like he can trust him.

So, he takes another step forward, across the dewy grass, and another, and another, until he reaches the dull grey rock and the pretty boy who sits on it.

Kihyun gives a small smile to the boy and then hoists himself up onto the rock next to him. It’s not overly large, a squeeze for both of them to fit, but the boy doesn’t seem to mind, even as their thighs press together so Kihyun doesn’t fall off the edge.

“So,” the boy says.

“So,” Kihyun repeats. He looks straight ahead, admiring the way the setting sun reflects off the surface of the river. It looks magical.

The boy moves and Kihyun turns his head to see what he’s doing. A hand is thrust in his direction, the smile still on the boy’s face, and Kihyun realises he wants a handshake.

Fumbling, he reaches over his own hand to shake the other’s hand.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Jooheon.”

Jooheon. It suits him, Kihyun decides.

Kihyun hesistates for a moment. Should he say his name? Or use an alias? His name wouldn’t give anything away, but part of him fears sharing it with anyone.

Jooheon is waiting for a reply, though, and Kihyun doesn’t have time to think up a fake name. “Likewise. I am Kihyun.”

And Jooheon smiles once again, his dimples appearing on his face. “I never see people around here,” Jooheon says, gesturing to the clearing they’re sitting in. “It was a nice surprise to see you.”

Kihyun hums, feeling awkward. Jooheon seems nice, like someone Kihyun could be friends with, but he has no experience interacting with people outside of his family and the staff, and he fears he’s going to say something wrong, something silly.

“Where are you from, Kihyun?” Jooheon asks. He must sense Kihyun’s awkwardness and Kihyun appreciates his attempts to make him feel more comfortable.

Kihyun panics for a second. He can’t tell Jooheon the truth, he’d be figured out in an instance. “A faraway land. My family came here recently to stay for a while.” It’s a bad lie, he knows it is, but Jooheon accepts it easily.

“Are you from the Northern Mountains? You speak like them.”

Well, Kihyun speaks like a Royal, like his father and brother, but if Jooheon thinks he sounds like he’s from the Mountains then he’ll jump on that. “Was it that obvious?” There’s a joking tone to his voice.

“Not obvious. Just slightly there.” Jooheon fiddles with a loose thread on his trousers. “I like travelling, seeing new places, so I’ve come to know many accents and ways of speaking.”

Kihyun can understand, he has the desire to explore, too. Being stuck inside the palace for so long has done that to him. “I hope I get to see more places. I have not seen much of the world,” he says.

“I hope one day you get to see more.”

They lapse into a comfortable silence. Kihyun watches the water flow through the river. A small bird swoops down, landing by the river’s edge. Kihyun can’t help but smile as it pecks at the ground, searching for food. “Birds are beautiful, are they not?”

Jooheon looks up in surprise. “I see them all the time. I never thought anything special of them.”

Kihyun points to the small bird as it hops along the edge of the flowing water. “It is only a small creature, but so different from us humans. There is so much beauty in nature if you know to look for it.”

Jooheon hums. “I didn’t think about that.”

The little bird flies off and Kihyun turns to look at Jooheon. “I have learnt to appreciate the little things.”

Again, comes a silence. It’s not awkward, not like Kihyun would expect it to be with someone he’s only just met.

It’s peaceful in the clearing, only the sounds of nature disrupting the tranquility.

Kihyun feels his eyes start to slip closed. He jolts back awake when his head droops.

The sound of Jooheon’s tinkling laughter hits his ears.

“Oh, I am sorry. I did not get much sleep.” Kihyun rubs the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed.

“Don’t apologise.” Jooheon leans back, looking up towards the darkening sky. “I should be heading back soon. Don’t want to worry my mother.”

Kihyun knows he should too. He wandered a decent distance from the palace and needs to make it back there before it gets too late. Hyungwon is bound to go looking for him at some point. He hates working for feasts, slipping out to find Kihyun whenever he can.

He slips off of the rock and turns to face Jooheon. “It was nice to meet you, Jooheon.” He opens his small bag and takes out a pastry. It’s a cinnamon swirl, one of his favourites, and he knows no one can resist them. “Here, a gift. For being so kind to let me rest with you.”

Jooheon accepts the pastry with a smile and a nod of his head. “Thank you, Kihyun.”

Kihyun waves and turns to leave.

“Wait,” Jooheon calls.

Kihyun turns back to look at him with his eyebrows knitted together.

“If you ever feel like hanging out, I’m here most days. Just come along and I’ll be here.”

Kihyun smiles and nods. “I will see you again soon, Jooheon.”

 

* * *

 

Kihyun makes it back to the palace without a hitch. He slips into his room and closes the door with a quiet click. Leaning his whole body back against it, he grins. He’d finally seen outside of the palace, got to explore, and even made a new friend.

A knock on his door startles him. “Come in?”

The door opens to reveal Hyungwon, a single eyebrow raised. “So, Your Highness,” he starts, and Kihyun knows he’s been caught, “is there anything you have to tell me?”

Kihyun shrugs, feigning innocence. “You are a wonderful assistant and I owe you my life.”

Hyungwon rolls his eyes. He crosses his arms and gives Kihyun a look much like his father does when he’s disappointed in him. “Where were you?”

Kihyun deflates and sighs. “I went on a walk around the gardens. It was boring being stuck in here. I am sorry I did not tell you.”

Hyungwon looks suspicious, but he doesn’t continue with his questioning. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Kihyun. Sleep well.”

He leaves with a bow, a force of habit more than anything.

“Goodnight, dumbass.”

Hyungwon’s laughter filters through the door. “You too, idiot.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its been a lil while but. i finally found time to write ch2 HWJSJ i’m rly proud of this fic so far so i hope ppl like it n there is Tons more to come if so

Kihyun notices that Hyungwon has been watching him more carefully over the past few days than he usually does. He gets it, he did sneak out and Hyungwon almost caught him, but having Hyungwon constantly hovering around him (more so than usual, at least, because he is Kihyun’s assistant and so is usually by his side) is starting to bother Kihyun.

He loves his best friend, he really does, but there comes a time where Kihyun just needs to be alone.

“Why are you lurking in my room again?” Kihyun asks as he half-heartedly glares at Hyungwon.

Hyungwon looks up from the book he’s reading and blinks at Kihyun. “I’m studying.” Then, he looks back down to his book and continues to read.

Kihyun squints his eyes, trying to read the cover of the book. It’s impossible, of course, as the cover is obscured by the angle Hyungwon is holding the book at, but now Kihyun really wants to know what he’s reading. It’s a huge book which definitely has at least 500 pages. Kihyun has never seen Hyungwon with a book in his hands before, so it’s strange that he seems to interested in this one book in particular.

Kihyun slides off his bed (the silk sheets make it very easy to do so) and approaches Hyungwon. He’s sitting in a large armchair that Kihyun barely uses, but his friends in the palace seem to love. “What are you reading?” Kihyun asks.

Hyungwon looks up at Kihyun with a blank stare. “A book.”

Kihyun tuts. “I can see that. What book?”

Hyungwon just stares.

So, Kihyun stares back.

It continues for a while. The two of them just stare at each other and refuse to blink or break eye contact.

It’s Hyungwon who ends up giving in. He sighs and blinks his eyes repeatedly. “You’re so stubborn.”

Kihyun grins. “But I won.” He pokes Hyungwon’s forehead. “Now, what is the book?”

Hyungwon rolls his eyes. He lifts up the book to allow Kihyun to see the front of it.

It’s a book about... how to cook?

Kihyun frowns. “Why do you want to learn to cook? Does Hyunwoo not cook for you? You are friends.”

With pink tips of his ears, Hyungwon nods. “Yeah, but I want to learn.”

Kihyun narrows his eyes. Suspicious. “Why not ask Hyunwoo to teach you?”

Hyungwon mutters something, but he does it so quietly Kihyun can’t hear him.

“What was that?”

Hyungwon speaks just as quietly. 

With a roll of his eyes, Kihyun turns away and heads for his door. “Fine, do not tell me. Are you coming?”

Hyungwon scrambles up from his seat. He places his book on Kihyun’s bedside table and then hurries over to the prince. 

Together, the two of them leave Kihyun’s room and head towards the staff quarters. Kihyun leads, Hyungwon not following far behind, and they quickly arrive at the intended destination — the laundry room.

“Did you have an urge to do some laundry or something? Why are we here?”

Kihyun turns back with a smile. “I want some more casual clothes for our plans later. Wearing this,” he gestures towards his clothes, less on the formal side than what Minhyuk is required to wear, but still not considered casual, “all the time is exhausting. I wish I did not have to follow my father’s stupid dress code.” It’s partially the truth. He does want some more casual clothes, and what better place to find some than the laundry room, but not only for their hangout later, but also to wear when he next visits Jooheon. He doesn’t know when he’s going to have a chance to sneak out again, but he really hopes it’ll be soon.

“Well, that’s what you get for being a prince,” Hyungwon jokes. He pushes past Kihyun to open the door. He holds it open and bows dramatically, to which Kihyun smacks the back of his head.

“You act like I chose to be a prince.”

Hyungwon grins. “Maybe you did.”

That earns him a glare, of course.

In the laundry room they fall into a silence. They work together diligently. Kihyun passes clothes from the pile of unwashed clothes to Hyungwon who places them into the correct machine (blacks, colours, delicates).

As they work, a smirk comes to Kihyun’s face as he thinks about how his father would react if he were to see Kihyun in the laundry room doing a staff member’s job. He’d probably scream and yell, tell Kihyun to learn how to be a proper prince if he ever wants to be respected.

To which Kihyun would always reply that respect is to be earned.

His father hates when Kihyun says that, but the prince knows it’s true. As much as his father won’t admit it, no one truly respects him, they fear him. No one wants to get on the wrong side of the King so they keep their mouths shut, but Kihyun knows what people truly think of his father. He’s heard the whispers around the palace, even if no one will say a word to him nor Minhyuk directly, too afraid to insult their father in front of them.

They continue with their sorting for a while, the two of them working in silence, until the machines are full.

“You didn’t have to help, you know,” Hyungwon says.

Kihyun shrugs. “I wanted to.”

Hyungwon holds out a folded shirt and pair of shorts. “Here, some casual clothes.”

Kihyun grins and accepts them with a bow of his head. “I will see you at the party that is not a party later.”

And with that, he takes his leave.

 

* * *

 

Their party that isn’t a party is in full swing. Well, as much swing as six guys sitting in a garden chatting can reach, anyway.

Minhyuk had found some free time in his busy schedule and decided that their little group of friends (consisting of Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyunwoo, Hyungwon, Changkyun and Hoseok) would have a small get together. It had been a long time since the six of them had managed to spend time as a group, what with four of them being staff members who were working more often than not and Minhyuk being busy with his duties. He is the crown prince, after all. It’s hard for him to find free time.

Then there’s Kihyun. The anomaly in their group. He seems to have all the free time in the world, so he does his best to spend as much time with his friends and brother as possible, even if it does mean interrupting them while on duty.

So, it’s been hard for everyone (except Kihyun) to find some free time, but Minhyuk had made it work. With a free evening, he used his status to give the staff among them the evening off from their duties. And now here they are, sitting around a fire (which Kihyun didn’t want Minhyuk to light himself for fear of the palace burning down, so Hyunwoo had done it for them).

“Kihyun,” Hyungwon calls and Kihyun snaps his head over to look at his friend. “Can I ask a favour?”

Kihyun tilts his head to the side. Hyungwon isn’t one to ask favours, not usually. “What is it?”

“Can I have tomorrow off?”

“Of course. Any reason?” Kihyun can’t help but be curious as to why Hyungwon is asking for time off. He’s never done that before, even when he’s had family emergencies. Kihyun’s always had to force him to actually take time off.

Hyungwon smiles sadly. “It’s my mother. She’s sick and I want to take care of her.”

Kihyun pats Hyungwon’s knee and hopes it comes across as comforting. He’s never been one that’s good at interacting with people, but he hopes that Hyungwon knows him well enough to appreciate his awkward attempts. 

Hyungwon loves his mother, everyone knows that, and it makes Kihyun’s heart hurt to learn she’s sick and Hyungwon has only just mentioned it now. “Will she be okay?”

Hyungwon shrugs. “We don’t know.”

“You can take all the time off you need. Changkyun will be able to take your place. Right, Kyunnie?”

Changkyun looks around dumbly at his name being mentioned. He frowns at Kihyun. “Do what?”

“Be my Hyungwon for a little while.”

Changkyun’s eyes widen. He looks frightened and Kihyun almost wants to laugh, but he holds it back because he feels sorry for Changkyun. Even though he’s been working for the palace for a long time and he’s friends with both Kihyun and Minhyuk, as well as being one of the best workers, he still doubts himself and his ability to do jobs that everyone knows he’s more than capable of. “I don’t think I’d be a good Hyungwon, Your Highness.”

“Kihyun,” Kihyun corrects.

Changkyun doesn’t have a chance to apologise (not that Kihyun expects him to, he just knows what Changkyun’s like) before Minhyuk is speaking up. “Now, now, my dear brother. We cannot steal Changkyunnie here from his duties.”

Kihyun rolls his eyes. “I am sure Changkyun would do just fine as my personal assistant.”

“I don’t know. It seems like a big responsibility,” Changkyun says quietly. 

“You can do it, Changkyun. I mean, if Hyungwon can do it, anyone can,” Hoseok jokes. He laughs loudly at Hyungwon’s indignant “hey!” and sticks his tongue out.

“I’m a wonderful personal assistant, thank you very much.” Hyungwon turns to look at Kihyun. “Right, Your Highness?” He’s smirking and it makes Kihyun want to hit him.

He holds back. Barely. “You are alright. I guess.”

Hyungwon glares.

Their little group all laugh at the interaction. It makes Kihyun happy.

“What if we play a game?” Minhyuk suggests suddenly. 

“Absolutely not,” Kihyun protests. He knows what Minhyuk is like with his games. “I do not trust you.”

“You are boring,” Minhyuk states. “We should play a game. It will be fun.” He’s insistent, and Kihyun knows he’s already winning over the others. “What do you say?” As he looks around the group, everyone shrugs or nods in agreement.

Kihyun sighs, but he relents. “Fine. But I am not playing. I will watch.”

“Like I said, boring,” Minhyuk repeats.

In retaliation, Kihyun sticks his tongue out.

They begin their game, some odd variation of Truth or Dare that Minhyuk’s invented that Kihyun doesn’t really understand the details of. He’s not focusing on the game, to be completely honest. Instead, he leans back, hands behind his head, and lies down on the floor.

It’s dark enough outside that the stars are visible in the sky. Kihyun watches them twinkle, looking purposefully at each one individually before he moves onto the next. Kihyun loves the stars, they comfort him. Whenever he’s felt sad, or lonely, or neglected, he’s gone out to his balcony and just looked up to the stars. They’re a constant in his life, something that he knows he can always depend on even when he’s struggling with practically being a prisoner in his own home because of his father. Kihyun knows he has his brother, and his friends, but there’s just something about the stars that is extra comforting to him.

A stream of light shoots across the sky. A shooting star. Kihyun smiles as he watches it, then he closes his eyes and makes a wish. 

_I wish to get out of the palace again._

And he can only hope it comes true.

 

* * *

 

Kihyun doesn’t end up asking Changkyun to take Hyungwon’s place for the day. He doesn’t want to put extra pressure on him, and really Kihyun can live without a personal assisstant. He just likes having Hyungwon around, if he’s honest. It makes every day a little easier to get through.

With Hyungwon gone for the day, Kihyun has less to do than usual. At least with Hyungwon around he can bother him and have someone to talk to. Now that he’s gone, Kihyun has realised how lonely he is.

He knows he has other friends in the palace, but today in particular he can’t go talk to anyone while they work. The King and Minhyuk have an appearance in the town. It’s a regular occurrence, done every few months or so. The two of them go into town and talk to the people, update them about goings on and ask if there are any issues they need resolved. It gives the people a voice and they appreciate it as far as Kihyun can tell.

His father only does it to make himself look good. He doesn’t really care for the people, only his image, but Minhyuk always listens to their requests and makes sure to fulfill anything in his power.

The King takes all the credit for Minhyuk’s work, of course, but that’s to be expected from someone as arrogant and selfish as himself.

Kihyun hates it. He hates that his father gets praised for all the hard work Minhyuk puts in.

He knows, though, that one day, when Minhyuk is finally King, everyone will finally be able to appreciate what a kind-hearted soul Minhyuk really is.

Kihyun stands in the main entrance to the palace. It’s grand, to be expected, with high walls decorated in gold and draped with ruby red curtains. The room is large, much larger than is necessary, with even more unnecessarily sized doors that open out into the street. The textbook definition of what a Royal entrance should look like.

Kihyun hates it. Hates everything about it.

He hangs back, just out of view of the outside world, as he watches the King, Minhyuk and their entourage exit the palace into the town.

He doesn’t even know why he came down here. He had nothing better to do, maybe, now that Hyungwon’s gone.

The doors shut as the last of the group leave and Kihyun is left alone in the palace with the few staff who’ve been asked to stay behind. 

Now’s Kihyun’s chance to leave the palace once again, he realises. He hurries up to his room to change into the clothes Hyungwon had given him the day before. It doesn’t matter what he’s wearing now with his father gone and so no one is there to judge him.

He walks back down the grand staircase and he smiles politely at the few staff he walks past and greets them. They all greet him back and one asks if he’s on the way to the gardens, to which he says yes. He knows none of them will think anything of it, Kihyun spends a lot of his time in the gardens, so he doesn’t even attempt to be sneaky. It would only look more suspicious if he tried and was caught. Instead, he walks with confidence.

When he reaches the gardens, Kihyun wanders more slowly on the off chance that he might bump into one of the gardeners. He admires the flowers and plants that grow, smiling at each of them as he walks past. Kihyun likes to mentally greet the plants when he comes out here, even if his father and others might think it’s ridiculous. Kihyun doesn’t know what it is, but he feels connected to the plants. Maybe it stems from him spending so much of his childhood out here amongst the nature. 

He stops by one of the rose bushes, his favourite flower, and leans down to take a smell. They smell as wonderful as always and it makes Kihyun smile.

He continues on, heading deeper into the gardens where less people venture so it’s not as well kept as the areas closer to the palace walls.

He reaches the outside walls and keys in the same passcode and then slips out of the door once again. It feels so easy now to just leave, to be free from the palace for a while, even if this is only his second time doing it.

Kihyun heads north once again, following the ever so slightly worn path. He doesn’t know who ventures out here, but they must do so often enough to form a makeshift path through the forest.

As Kihyun walks, heading straight towards that same clearing he met Jooheon at before, he once again admires the nature surrounding him. The creatures that scuttle across the floor, the birds that sing and swoop overhead, the towering trees and the patterns in their bark. He tries to take everything in, observe and study it, as he never knows when his next chance to leave will be. He needs to make the most of being out here while he can. If his father were to ever catch wind of him leaving, Kihyun is sure he’d be locked in the dungeon for good.

Kihyun comes to the same clearing once again, directly to the north of the palace, and there, much to his delight, sits Jooheon on that same grey rock.

“Good morning, Jooheon,” Kihyun greets. He does a little bow.

Jooheon grins as he spies the prince. “Mornin’, Kihyun. Why the bow? Is that a thing you do up in the mountains?”

Kihyun gulps. He’d completely forgotten that outside of the palace bowing as a way of greeting has gone out of favour. The old tradition has only remained amongst Royals. “Force of habit. My mother once worked for the Royals a long time ago and so I picked it up.” It emits the fact that Kihyun himself is in fact one of those Royals, but the part about his mother is the truth, at least.

Jooheon pats the space next to him on the rock, encouraging Kihyun to sit down, which he does.

“You’re a strange one, you know?” Jooheon comments. “The way you talk and your manners. It’s so different than the people I’m used to.”

“Oh, I am sorry.”

Jooheon is quick to backtrack. “No, no. It’s not a bad thing. It’s good, actually. A nice break from everything I’m so used to.”

They lapse into a silence, but Kihyun finds he doesn’t mind it. It’s always so busy and loud in the palace with staff all over the place. Being able to sit and enjoy the quiet with just the sounds of nature in the background is like a breath of fresh air.

“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” Jooheon says.

Kihyun turns to look at him with a frown. “You did not?”

“You didn’t come for a few days. I was afraid I’d scared you off.”

Kihyun didn’t even think about how that might’ve come across to Jooheon. Even if he barely knows the other boy, Kihyun really wants to leave a good impression. Jooheon seems like he could be a good friend for Kihyun, and so Kihyun wants to do his best to form that friendship. “I apologise. It has been hard to find time to leave, but you can always count on me. I will always come back, as long as you want me to.”

“I do,” he says. ”Always want you to, I mean.”

Jooheon jumps down from the rock and holds a hand out to Kihyun. Kihyun takes it and allows Jooheon to help him down, too. He smiles in thanks. 

“Would you like to go visit town?” Jooheon suggests, jutting a thumb in the direction of said town. 

And oh, Kihyun really wants to, even though it’s a risk to go there. He shouldn’t be seen by too many people, he’s been warned about it all his life, but for once Kihyun decides he’s going to be rebellious. He’s going to forget that he’s a Prince, forget everything he’s been told by his father and go and enjoy himself for once.

“I would like that. I have never seen the town,” Kihyun says.

“You haven’t?”

Kihyun shakes his head. He quickly thinks of an excuse. “My family live on the outskirts of the forest, towards the north. I stay at home with my brother usually while my mother is the one to go into town to work.”

Jooheon hums in acknowledgement. “The town is beautiful. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

 

* * *

 

The town is busy and lively. It’s market day, as Jooheon explains, and with the King and Prince Minhyuk’s visit, everything is even more chaotic than usual.

They wander through the town, with Jooheon pointing out all the significant places (including the exact spot where Jooheon tripped and cut his knee, which he shows Kihyun the scar that still remains from it) and Kihyun looks around in awe, taking everything Jooheon tells him, as well as the beauty of the buildings, in.

After a while, Jooheon says he has somewhere he needs to go. The two of them weave through the crowds of people. Kihyun clings to the soft material of Jooheon’s shirt so he doesn’t lose him as Jooheon leads the way. He walks with purpose and Kihyun has to speed walk a little to keep up.

They make it through the hustle and bustle to a quieter street, but there are still people down it. Lined up along the walls of the buildings to either side of them are market stalls all selling a variety of objects. Some sell scarfs, some sell fruits. 

Kihyun wonders why Jooheon has taken him down a road with seemingly less customers, but before Kihyun can voice this Jooheon is approaching a jewellery stall with a smile. 

“Mum!” he calls as they approach.

“Oh, Jooheon. Fancy seeing you here,” the woman behind the stall — Jooheon’s mother — jokes. She looks to Kihyun with a welcoming smile and Kihyun can see the resemblance between her and Jooheon. “Who’s this?”

Kihyun scrambles to bow. “I am Kihyun. It is nice to meet you.”

“From the Northern Mountains, I assume?”

Kihyun nods. He wonders what about his accent seems to remind everyone of the Nothern Mountains. He’s never thought Royals spoke like the people from there, but it seems like maybe they do.

Jooheon and his mother start to chat about dinner plans or something, Kihyun isn’t sure. He’s too focused on admiring the colourful jewellery that’s laid out on the stall in front of them. There’s necklaces, bracelets, earrings, all kinds of jewellery. Each of them has an intricate design on it. Kihyun eyes a bracelet. It’s silver with red detailing and a small, yet detailed fox charm hanging from it. Kihyun picks it up to study it closer, admiring the handiwork.

“Are these all handmade?” Kihyun asks during a lull in Jooheon and his mother’s conversation.

“Yes. I made them all myself.”

Kihyun’s eyes widen. “You are amazing. I admire your work.” He goes to set down the bracelet, but Jooheon takes it from him before he’s able to.

“This bracelet matches you, you know. Delicate and fox-like,” he comments. Jooheon gestures for Kihyun to hold out his wrist, which he does, and ever so delicately Jooheon slips the bracelet onto Kihyun’s wrist. He smiles when it’s done. “It looks perfect.”

“It does,” Jooheon’s mother agrees. “You should have it.”

“Oh, no, I cannot. Please allow me to pay.”

Jooheon and his mother both shake their heads. “It’s a gift,” Jooheon tells him.

Kihyun feels bad accepting a gift, especially one that’s clearly been made with such love and care when he has more than enough money to afford it. But, they both insist, so Kihyun has no choice but to accept it. “Thank you. I will treasure it.” He smiles at the two of them gratefully. He vows to himself to wear the bracelet proudly and to one day return and pay Jooheon’s mother back for her kindness and hard work.

Jooheon smiles back at Kihyun then turns to his mother and asks, “Do you need us to get you anything?”

“No, no. You two boys go have fun!”

Kihyun smiles and waves goodbye as the two of them move on further down the street, past more stalls and then out into the main town square.

“Oh, it’s time for the King and Prince Minhyuk’s talk,” Jooheon says as the two of them come to a stop. He points to the elevated platform on the opposite side of the square to them where a podium is prepared.

Kihyun panics. He can’t be seen out here or his father will lock him away forever.

Jooheon must sense something is wrong because he looks at Kihyun with a frown. “Is something wrong?”

Kihyun shakes his head. “I am okay. Probably just ate something bad.”

Jooheon looks concerned and leads them to a bench at the back of the square. The platform is still visible, but less so compared to where they stood before. He makes Kihyun sit down and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Kihyun doesn’t get a chance to reply before an announcer is calling out, “Please welcome your King and Prince.”

Kihyun can’t sit here and listen to his father and brother speak, especially not when there’s a chance he’ll be spotted. “Is it okay if I return home? I think it will be best.”

“Of course. I’ll take you to the forest,” Jooheon offers.

As much as Kihyun wants to tell him no, he can make it back just fine himself, he actually has no idea how to make it back to the forest from here. So, Kihyun agrees and the two of them stand and make their way out of the town, away from Kihyun’s father and brother and the hustle and bustle, and back to the edge of the forest.

When they reach it, Kihyun says, “I can make it from here. Thank you for a wonderful day, Jooheon, even if it had to be cut short. And thank you for the gift. I will repay you for it.”

“You don’t have to repay me. As long as you enjoy it, that’s all that matters.” Jooheon gives him a warm smile. “I’ll see you again soon?” he says it like a question, almost like he’s afraid that Kihyun won’t come back again.

“Of course. I will come visit you soon,” Kihyun confirms. He really likes spending time with Jooheon and definitely wants to get to know him better. “Goodbye,” Kihyun says with a bow of his head.

“Bye, Kihyunnie,” Jooheon replies and Kihyun smiles at the new nickname. He’s never been given a nickname before. (The names Hyungwon calls him don’t count.)

With their goodbyes said, Kihyun sets off back into the forest and back to the palace. Where he should call home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i will put references to kihyun being a fox in every fic i write i Cannot Be Stopped


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm rly the slowest updater ever rip but i'm going to update this more often!! should be a new chapter every month or so i believe n i'll leave my update schedule in the end notes so it's easy to find when the next chapter will be

“Your hair. It is pink.”

Hyungwon nods shyly. “Do you like it?”

It’s… different, that’s for sure, but Kihyun thinks it suits Hyungwon quite well. He never would’ve considered pink hair for Hyungwon, but it somehow works for him. “You look good.”

Hyungwon smiles and bows his head. “Thanks, Your Highness. You know how to compliment a guy.”

Kihyun rolls his eyes and throws a pair of balled up socks at Hyungwon’s head. “You suck.”

“Don’t throw your clothes around while I’m trying to put them away.” Hyungwon tuts and because he’s Hyungwon, throws the socks back at Kihyun and ruins his own point. “I’m trying to do my job here.”

Kihyun’s tempted to throw more items of clothing at Hyungwon’s head, but that’d only extend the length of time it’ll take Hyungwon to put Kihyun’s clothes away for him. It’s the one job he just can’t stand doing himself, but he feels guilty when he doesn’t help out with things, so it’s better for Hyungwon to get it over and done with sooner. Kihyun always tries to help out where he can, not liking the feeling of sitting around and watching someone else do things for him simply because of the family he was born into, but when it comes to folding and putting clothes into his drawers, Kihyun just hates doing it. 

So, instead of throwing something else at Hyungwon like he’s oh so tempted to, Kihyun instead decides to help him out a little bit by handing the clothes over to Hyungwon from where they’re laid out on his bed to reduce how much walking Hyungwon has to do. 

It doesn’t take much more time for Hyungwon to finish putting all of Kihyun’s clothes away and then he flops down onto Kihyun’s bed with a sigh. “I’m exhausted.”

Kihyun lies down next to him and pokes his arm. “No sleeping on the job.”

“You’d really begrudge your best friend having a quick nap?”

“You know I would not. Get some sleep. If anyone comes in looking for you I will wake you up so they do not know you have been sleeping,” Kihyun promises.

“You’re the best.” Hyungwon shuts his eyes and within seconds his breathing evens out, clearly asleep. He really wasn’t kidding when he said he’s exhausted. 

With Hyungwon now asleep next to him, Kihyun doesn’t have much else to do. He could walk around the palace, as he often does when he’s bored, but he doesn’t feel much like getting up right now. So, instead, not being tired enough to sleep, he just lies there and thinks.

He wonders about how different his life would be if he wasn’t born into a family that doesn’t want him to exist. What would it be like to not be trapped behind walls, his existence not known to the world, for all of his life? Sure, he’s been out of the palace twice now, but he’s not allowed to. He has to sneak around to even have any sort of freedom in his life.

Kihyun’s father resents him. He knows that. And his mother? Well, he hasn’t seen her in years. His father forbids him from seeing her by banning her from the palace and since Kihyun can’t leave, he has no way to visit her. There’s no other way to communicate with her that he knows of, either, so even if he were to sneak out how would he find her?

The only other family he has is Minhyuk. He loves his brother, he really does, and he’s so thankful to have him in his life, but it feels like they live such different lives that there’s a distance between them. Minhyuk’s always so busy with his duties that the two of them barely get to spend time together. 

He has his friends, too. Hyungwon, Hyunwoo, Changkyun and Hoseok, that he wouldn’t know without living in the palace.

So, when he thinks about it, his life isn’t so bad, even if there are some bad parts to it. He might be trapped in this palace which, well, isn’t ideal, but his life is good when it comes down to it. 

Kihyun sighs. Thinking about this is doing him no good, really. He rolls over and sees Hyungwon lying there peacefully as he sleeps. His newly pink hair is splayed out across the bed. 

It makes Kihyun wonder what he’d look like with a different hair colour. He’s been forbidden by his father to dye his hair, despite Minhyuk being allowed to do what he wants with his hair (but, well, Minhyuk’s the  _ actual _ prince, Kihyun’s just the one no one wants to know about.) He’s been woken up enough times in the middle of the night by Minhyuk’s sudden urge to change his hair colour but requiring Kihyun’s assistance to do so to have thought about it a few times before, but after seeing the drastic change in Hyungwon’s hair colour his curiosity is reignited. 

He knows he really  _ shouldn’t  _ dye his hair, not after it’s been forbidden, but Kihyun’s been feeling a little rebellious recently. He knows no one in the palace would help him, none of them wanting to be part of him inevitably getting in trouble, but there is one person he can ask - Jooheon. 

There’s no one specific colour Kihyun’s thinking about trying, probably something natural and not too out there, but now that the idea is planted in his head he knows he won’t be able to let it go. Next time he sees Jooheon he’ll ask him about dyeing his hair. 

Satisfied with his rebellious decision, Kihyun smiles to himself and relaxes into his bed as he waits for Hyungwon to wake up from his nap. 

 

* * *

 

Hyungwon hasn’t turned up today. It’s rather unusual, but not completely unheard of as Kihyun’s father has been known to steal away Hyungwon from his regular duties as Kihyun’s assistant on occasion when he needs an extra pair of hands for other jobs around the palace. So, although Kihyun is a little worried about his friend not turning up, he knows that there’s probably a reasonable explanation for it. 

The one (and only) benefit of Hyungwon not being Kihyun’s assistant for the day is that it means there’s not a single person who’s going to care about Kihyun’s whereabouts for the day. So, if he really wants to, Kihyun can sneak out of the palace and go see Jooheon. 

And oh, he wants to. He finds himself thinking a lot about Jooheon nowadays. Thoughts pass through his mind wondering about what Jooheon might be up to, how he’s feeling, when the next time Kihyun will be able to see him is. It’s a new feeling, one he’s never really experienced before. That’s not to say Kihyun doesn’t think about his other friends and wonders about when he can properly hang out with them when they’re not working, but it just feels  _ different _ with Jooheon. 

Kihyun doesn’t really know what to make of it, so he just doesn’t overthink it. He allows the thoughts to exist, for them to come and go, and he hopes that he’ll get the chance to see Jooheon more often than he does right now. 

He pulls himself out of his bed and over to his desk. In the bottom drawer he has hidden the bracelet which Jooheon gifted him. He hasn’t been able to wear it around the palace as he doesn’t want anyone to question where he got it from, but since he’s going to be sneaking out he has the opportunity to finally wear it for the first time. He slips it onto his wrist and smiles at it as it catches the light. It truly is a beautiful bracelet. 

He changes into some more casual clothes that he’d asked Hyungwon to buy for him. He’d been suspicious when Kihyun asked him to purchase some new outfits for him, but Kihyun just kept claiming that he wants to try a new style until Hyungwon gave in. 

After doing a once over, Kihyun nods to himself and leaves his room to sneak out of the palace once again. 

 

* * *

 

Sneaking out is becoming easy. Almost too easy. But Kihyun isn’t going to complain. It does make him wonder, though, if he could’ve been doing this for years now instead of spending so long confined to the palace. 

The same little clearing is only seconds away and Kihyun’s got a bounce in his step as he gets closer and closer. Although there’s no guarantee Jooheon will even be here - there’s always a chance he won’t turn up and Kihyun has no way to contact him other than to meet here - he feels hopeful. 

When he steps through the trees and into the clearing he sees Jooheon sitting on that same rock waiting for him with a smile. “Hey, Kihyunnie.”

“Hi,” Kihyun replies shyly. 

Jooheon pats the rock next to him and Kihyun practically skips over to join him. He climbs up and they’re pressed close together once again due to the size of the rock, but Kihyun doesn’t mind it. Being close to Jooheon is nice. 

“Oh, you’re wearing the bracelet!” Jooheon ever so gently lifts Kihyun’s wrist to take a closer look at it. “I love it on you.”

“It is a beautiful gift. Thank you again for it and tell your mother I love her work.”

“It’s not a problem.” A pause, then Jooheon says quietly, “I wish more people appreciated my mother’s work. She puts so much time and love into her jewellery but it feels like barely anyone notices that effort.”

Kihyun frowns. He feels for Jooheon and his mother. It’s clear to him just how much care has been put into making the bracelet he owns and all of the other items he saw at the stall. Kihyun wishes he could do something to help, but he can’t do a lot without revealing who he really is. However, an idea does spring to mind. “My brother has some friends who work at the palace. Maybe I can ask him to put in a good word there?”

“You don’t have to,” Jooheon says, “but it’d be really nice for her if you could. Her jewellery is only something she does on the side as her hobby because she loves it, but I know she wishes she could do it full time. If someone at the palace were to wear it maybe she could make it into a business.”

Kihyun knows that if he can somehow get Minhyuk to buy some of her jewellery and wear it that it’d blow up and she’d sell out instantly. The townspeople love their Prince and anything he wears they want to get their hands on too. Kihyun’s not sure how he’ll get away with convincing Minhyuk without exposing that he’s been sneaking out of the palace, but he’ll figure something out. “I will ask him later to put in a good word for you.”

“Thank you, Kihyunnie.”

They fall into a silence, just the sounds of the birds chirping and the wind rustling through the leaves in the background. 

A small squirrel scurries down a tree trunk and across the clearing and over to the river. It cautiously approaches the water before turning and scampering away and up another tree out of sight. Kihyun smiles as he watches it disappear. 

“Do you like squirrels?” Jooheon asks, breaking their silence. 

“I do. They are interesting creatures.”

Jooheon hums. “They are.”

A thought comes to mind all of a sudden. “Oh! I had a question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“Would you like to dye my hair?” Kihyun asks. He has no idea if Jooheon would be up for it, but he does have orange hair which is definitely not natural, even if it does suit him well, so there’s a chance he has at least some experience with dyeing hair. 

“I’d love to. What colour are you thinking?”

Well, that was easier than expected. “I am not sure. Maybe a brown shade? I have never dyed my hair so I do not know what would suit me.”

Jooheon studies his face for a few moments before concluding, “I think you’d suit any hair colour, but a brown would be a good start. Then if you get bored of that you can easily change it to something else or just go back to black if you don’t like it.”

Kihyun nods, excited. “Brown will be a good start.”

“So, wanna go buy some hair dye?”

Kihyun has never agreed to something faster.

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure you know how to do this?” Kihyun asks once again. 

“I promise. I’ve done it loads.”

Kihyun takes a deep breath and then sighs. “Okay. You may do it.”

Jooheon gives him one last reassuring smile and then sits down on the edge of his bathtub. “Sit,” he says to Kihyun.

Kihyun complies and sits down on the bathroom floor in front of Jooheon. It’s not the ideal set up, obviously, but there was no better place they could really do it. They’d bought the hair dye in town (Kihyun thankfully had remembered to bring some money along with him so he could pay for it himself) and then Jooheon had brought him back to his house as he believes Kihyun lives out past the forest near the Mountains whereas Jooheon lives in the town, so it only makes sense for them to come back here.

Kihyun didn’t get to see much of Jooheon’s house as they'd gone straight to the bathroom, but from what he did see it looks homely. The atmosphere of Jooheon’s house is so different from the palace it astounds Kihyun. He’s never experienced an environment that just feels so completely like  _ home _ . He’s barely even had a chance to be in Jooheon’s house, and yet it feels more like a home to Kihyun than the place he’s meant to call home. 

“I’m going to section your hair and start putting the bleach on, okay?”

Kihyun’s not sure how prepared he is to have his hair bleached, but he guesses he has to be. “Okay.”

As Kihyun can’t see what Jooheon’s doing because he’s obviously sitting behind Kihyun, he just jumps when he feels Jooheon’s hands in his hair.

“Sorry,” Jooheon murmurs and gently starts to brush the bleach onto Kihyun’s hair.

He makes quick work of it, and Kihyun patiently waits as he does so. Not much longer later, Kihyun’s hair is entirely coated in bleach. 

“Now we wait for, like, thirty minutes,” Jooheon says with a smile.

Kihyun feels like his scalp is starting to burn, but he decides not to say a word and just smiles back and hopes the next half an hour will pass by quickly.

 

* * *

 

Kihyun can’t stop staring at himself in the mirror. He looks  _ different.  _ He can’t believe the difference that going from black hair to a light brown shade has made. It’s strange to see himself with a different hair colour after having the same one all of his life, and he’s definitely going to get in trouble for dyeing it without permission as well as have to come up with some excuse about how he even obtained the hair dye from inside the palace, but Kihyun finds that he doesn’t even care. He finds that he feels more rebellious over time, especially as he leaves the palace more often, and he’s not sure whether it’s a good or bad thing, but it definitely makes him feel more free than he ever has done before.

“It suits you,” Jooheon says as he appears behind Kihyun in the mirror. He moves a strand of Kihyun’s hair so it’s out of his face. “I thought your hair would feel horrible, but it feels surprisingly soft.”

“My brother complains about his hair loss because of bleaching all the time,” Kihyun replies with a smile. 

“I mean, if you wanted to go blonde you’d probably end up with hay hair.”

“I do not think I want to be blonde, then.”

Jooheon’s disappears from the view of the mirror and Kihyun watches as he walks towards the door. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

Kihyun’s about to agree, because he’d love to spend more time with Jooheon, but the word ‘dinner’ makes him realise just how late it is now and he’s hit all of a sudden with the reminder that he  _ really _ needs to get back to the palace before he gets caught. He didn’t mean to spend so long outside of the palace with Jooheon, but they’d spent such a long time exploring the market before even coming across the hair dyes and then after the bleaching had been done both of them had been too lazy to get around to doing the actual dyeing part for another hour. The time had just slipped away from him. “I am sorry, I promised my mother and brother I would be home to have dinner with them.”

“You should get back to them, then,” Jooheon says. He opens the door for the bathroom and gestures for Kihyun to walk through first. “I’ll walk you out.”

At Jooheon’s front door, Kihyun hesitates before he leaves. “Thank you for dyeing my hair. We should do dinner some other time.”

“I’ll make you the best dinner you’ve ever had,” Jooheon promises.

Kihyun waves as he turns to leave, but before he can turn around he’s stopped by a pair of arms wrapping around him. He freezes, then shakes himself out of it and hugs Jooheon back.

“I’ll see you soon, Kihyunnie,” Jooheon says as he pulls away.

Kihyun really hopes he does.

 

* * *

 

“Where the fuck have you been?” is how Kihyun’s greeted when he opens the door to his room back at the palace. 

Hyungwon’s angry face was definitely not what Kihyun thought he’d see when he returned back to the palace and now he’s not sure what to do. He didn’t think Hyungwon was going to be around today, hence why he snuck out, and now he’s pretty damn fucked. Either he lies, which he’s not a fan of doing and he’d feel guilty doing to Hyungwon, or he tells the truth, which is terrifying to say the least. 

“I am sorry,” Kihyun says because he doesn’t know what else to say. He steps into his room and shuts the door behind him. 

“I was so worried, idiot. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Hyungwon’s angry expression morphs into one of relief. He takes a step forward and pulls Kihyun into a hug. “Don’t do that again, wherever you disappeared to. I was this close to asking the guards to help me look for you.”

“I am sorry,” Kihyun mumbles into Hyungwon’s chest. “I am really sorry.”

“It’s fine, dumbass.” He pulls back with one last pat on Kihyun’s back. “Where did you even go?”

Kihyun chews on his lip as he debates what to tell Hyungwon. If he tells the truth he runs the risk of never being able to see Jooheon again, but he can’t lie to Hyungwon. So, Kihyun says, “I have made a friend outside the palace. I went to see him.”

“Well, that explains how your hair magically became a different colour,” Hyungwon interrupts. 

“I did not mean to worry you. Please do not tell anyone,” Kihyun begs. He can’t lose Jooheon now. “I promise I will be more careful.”

“Honestly,” Hyungwon says with a smile, “I’m surprised it took you this long to start sneaking out. I was expecting you to do it years ago.”

Well, that’s not the reaction Kihyun had been expecting. “You are not mad?”

“No, of course not,” Hyungwon says like it’s obvious, “but I’d like if we could talk to Hoseok to make an arrangement for him to accompany you when you next leave. We’ll talk to him about keeping a distance, but as much as you hate it and your father wants to pretend you’re not, you’re still a prince and you need protection.”

Kihyun’s not so sure he  _ does _ need the protection as his entire existence is not known to the public and even if it were he doesn’t think he really resembles anyone in his family and so it’d be hard for someone to connect the dots. His accent and way of speaking might give it away, but how Royals speak and how people from the Mountains speak are so similar that no one can really tell the difference.

But, if Hyungwon thinks he should have some sort of protection, he won’t say no. He’d feel a little safer and more comfortable with Hoseok around, anyway.

“Okay, that is fine,” Kihyun says. “We can talk to Hoseok later.”

“Good. Now, tell me all about this friend of yours.”

 

* * *

 

“You? Sneaking out? I don’t believe it,” Hoseok says. 

“Well, it is true,” Kihyun replies with a grin. “I am a rebel now.”

“Oh, you wish,” Hyungwon says with a laugh. “You can claim that title when you’re truly rebellious. Like me.”

Kihyun rolls his eyes. “As if.”

“Stop bickering you two.”

Kihyun shuts his mouth because whatever Hoseok says, he does. 

“Kihyun, I’m happy to come with you as long as it’s not a busy day. I’ll just ask Seungcheol and Eunseo to cover for me. They won’t mind because I do it for them all the time.”

“Now that, Your Highness, is what rebellion is.”

Hyungwon very much deserves the smack in the face with a pillow that he receives from Kihyun. 

With a self-satisfied smirk after hitting Hyungwon, Kihyun says to Hoseok, “Thank you for helping me. I appreciate it very much.”

“What wouldn’t I do for my prince?” Hoseok replies cheekily. 

“Probably quite a few things,” Hyungwon points out. “I can list them if you want.”

Kihyun tunes out Hyungwon as he does in fact start listing off all of the things that Hoseok wouldn’t do for Kihyun. 

Instead, he lies back on his bed and takes a well-deserved nap. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this chap so long ago i forgot everything that happened in it LMAO but. enjoy heheh!!!!

Kihyun had been having a good day right up until Changkyun knocked on his door. He’d been talking to Hyunwoo in the kitchen, one of his favourite things to do, and Hyunwoo had been telling him some stories he’d heard from his grandmother (she always had the most interesting stories and Hyunwoo loved to share them with Kihyun, knowing about his curiosity about the outside world). He’d returned to his room in a good mood, but not even five minutes later Changkyun had knocked on his door and regretfully informed him that his father wished to speak with him. 

There’s nothing Kihyun hates more than speaking to the King. He’s not really a father to Kihyun, anyway, he’s just the King that doesn’t care for Kihyun. But, unfortunately, Kihyun can’t get out of this talk, so he sucks it up and makes his way to the throne room where Changkyun told him he’d find the King.

Kihyun stands outside the unnecessarily extravagant door. His hand is lifted to knock, but he just can’t bring himself to do it. Changkyun hadn’t been told why the King wants to see Kihyun, so Kihyun’s going in there blind, but he knows it can’t be good. It never is. 

So, with a deep breath, Kihyun knocks on the large wooden door. 

“Come in,” a voice bellows from inside.

When Kihyun opens the door he’s met with the same interior he always sees. High walls covered in red and gold tapestries, a beautiful chandelier hanging down in the centre of the room and at the back sits the King atop his golden throne. He’s wearing his crown adorned with an excessive number of jewels, his deep red robe and an expression on his face that seems like trouble for Kihyun.

Kihyun goes into a deep bow and says, “Good day, Your Majesty.”

“Kihyun,” the King replies in a level tone. “Come sit.”

He does as he’s told and sits down at one of the chairs at the table that’s in front of the throne. “What did you need me for?”

“We need to talk about you disobeying my rules.”

Panic surges through Kihyun’s veins. He thought he’d been careful. There’s no way the King can know that he’s been sneaking out, no way, but that’s what he must be hinting to. Kihyun’s face pales as he tries to think up some excuse, anything that can get him out of this.

“I have told you time and time again that you are not to bother the servants in the kitchen,” the King scolds and relief rushes through Kihyun, even if he is about to still be reprimanded. “They are not your friends, so stop acting like they are. I believe someone caught you doing laundry with that Hyungwon boy, too. He is a terrible influence on you. Maybe we should find you a new personal assistant, one that will not encourage you to ignore your title and act like a peasant.”

Kihyun hates the way his father speaks about their staff, the way he looks down on them and treats them as if they’re less than him. Kihyun sees the staff as his equals, his friends. Usually, he’d just take the scolding and say nothing, but Kihyun’s feeling bold today, so he decides to speak his mind. “They are my friends. I do not care if you do not like it, but I will not stop talking to them. They care about me and want to keep me happy.”

“Are you insinuating that I do not care for you?” The King sounds angry, his voice booming, filling the whole room. “I provide you with everything you could possibly need and you dare to say that I do not care for you?”

Kihyun sinks down in his seat. He’s afraid of the King, always has been, but he can’t back down now. He’s finally decided to speak up for himself, and he’s going to take that chance. It’s not like anything can really be done to him at this point. He’s already a prisoner in what’s supposed to be his home, so what else can the King do to him? If he kicks him out he risks Kihyun leaking his true identity and the people turning against the King, so he won’t do that. He forces himself to sit up tall. “If you cared for me you would not confine me to these walls and act as if I am not your son.”

The King bangs a fist on the table, the sound reverberating around the room.

Kihyun wants to hide, make himself small, but he refuses to give in. He sits up even taller, his spine straight, and looks the King directly in the eyes. “Am I wrong?” he taunts. “Have you ever seen me as your son instead of just a thorn in your side?”

“You,” the King yells, pointing a finger in Kihyun’s face, “will never be a son to me. You are a nuisance. You mean nothing to me.”

Kihyun scoffs. It should sting, hurt, but it in that moment it doesn’t. It’s just a confirmation of what he’s known all of his life. “Well, Your Majesty,” Kihyun spits sarcastically, standing from his chair, “now that I know how you feel, I shall stop bothering you with my mere existence.” With one final bow, Kihyun turns on his heel and storms out of the room, not looking back even as the King - his so called father - calls after him and demands he comes back.

When Kihyun makes it back to his room a few minutes later he’s panting from the anger, but the adrenaline has worn off by now and he sinks to his floor in front of his still open door. He hangs his head and buries it in his hands, the tears threatening to spill over. He doesn’t know why he’s even upset, he shouldn’t care about what a man who doesn’t care about him thinks, but he does, as much as he hates to admit it. He cares more than he should. 

All Kihyun wants is to be seen by his father, seen as a son that’s worth loving like Minhyuk is, but he never will be. Kihyun hates comparing himself to his brother, but he can’t help it. Minhyuk’s everything he’s not. Everything Kihyun wishes he could be, Minhyuk is.

A knock at his door gains Kihyun’s attention, so he looks over and sees Minhyuk standing there with a sad smile on his face. “Oh, Kihyunnie, what are we going to do with you?” He cautiously approaches Kihyun and kneels down on the floor next to Kihyun, a hand on his back. 

“You should not be here worrying about me,” Kihyun says with a self-deprecating laugh. “You are the Prince. You have better things to do.”

Minhyuk gives him a stern look. “Now, that is what we are not going to do. We are not going to compare ourselves.”

And Kihyun knows that comparing them never does any good, but he can’t help but do it anyway, especially after what his father had said. “You are everything our father could want in a son. I am everything he does not want.”

Minhyuk tuts and moves around so he’s sitting in front of Kihyun instead of beside him. “Kihyun,” he says seriously. “Stop this.”

“How can I? You heard what he said, did you not?”

Minhyuk nods, which confirms Kihyun’s suspicions that Minhyuk had been hiding outside of the room listening in. He thought he’d spotted him when he stormed out of the room, but hadn’t been sure. 

“Then you know what he thinks of me.”

“That does not mean he is right,” Minhyuk disagrees. “It is not your fault we do not have the same mother and it is not your fault he is too embarrassed to admit his mistake.”

“Is it not?” Kihyun doesn’t know how much he can believe that anymore. “If it is not my fault, why am I the one that must pay for it?”

“I cannot answer that,” Minhyuk says sadly. “But when I am King you will be free to do what you want and go where you want. Once he steps down you will be free, Kihyun, I promise.”

Kihyun knows that Minhyuk means those words, but they’re both still so young and it’s a long way off before Minhyuk becomes King. Kihyun has years and years of dealing with being trapped inside the palace, his existence kept a secret from the outside world, before the day comes that Minhyuk can finally set him free. “I know you will, but that is a long way off.”

“I know and I am sorry.”

“It is not your fault. You are a wonderful brother and I cannot wait for the day that you are King because I know you will be the best King this land has ever seen,” Kihyun admits. It’s something he thinks about a lot and truly believes in, but not something he has ever really admitted to Minhyuk himself.

“And you will be the best Prince this land has ever known.”

 

* * *

 

Kihyun’s in a rather terrible mood after his fight with his father. He’s snapped at Hyungwon more than once today (which thankfully Hyungwon forgives him for as he knows how Kihyun can get after talks with the King) and he really just wants to get out of the palace. As he lies in his bed simmering in his anger towards his father, he wonders whether Hoseok is free to escort him outside. He’s not sure if he’ll go visit Jooheon at all - it’s probably best not to given his mood - but he just wants to feel some semblance of freedom. Even if he just wanders around the forest for a bit, that’s much better than being cooped up in his room knowing the King is only down the hall.

So, with his mind made up, Kihyun rolls out of bed and starts his hunt for Hoseok.

Which takes all of ten seconds because as soon as he opens his door to leave his room he comes face to face with Hoseok.

“Oh, hi, Kihyun. I came to check up on you,” Hoseok says with a smile. He holds out a tub containing a pastry inside. “I stole this from Hyunwoo for you.”

“Thank you.” Kihyun takes the tub with a grateful smile. He is feeling rather hungry now that he thinks about it, so the pastry will be a good snack. “I was on my way to find you, actually.”

“Oh, what for?”

“Would you mind coming with me to the forest? I may meet up with my friend, I am not sure, but I do not want to be stuck in here any longer.”

Hoseok nods. “Of course. Meet me by the back gate. I’ll go let the others know I’ll be gone.” With that, Hoseok is off to find his fellow guards.

As Kihyun heads down to the gardens, he munches on the pastry Hoseok brought him. It’s sweet, but not too sweet, and has a nice chocolate flavour to it. Kihyun will have to compliment Hyunwoo for his baking once again, because he always knows how to make the best treats. One day Kihyun hopes to learn from Hyunwoo about how to properly cook and bake. It’s something he’s always had an interest in, but never bothered to learn. 

It doesn’t take Kihyun very long to reach the back gate, especially since he doesn’t bother to try and sneak through the gardens as he’s done before. It’s not like anyone will bother to question him, anyway, and he’ll have Hoseok with him.

A few minutes after Kihyun arrives, Hoseok turns up. “You ready to go?”

Kihyun nods. He’s more than ready to get outside of the palace.

Hoseok unlocks the gate for them and the first step Kihyun takes out into the forest feels like freedom. It’s still no different really than being inside the palace walls, especially with their gardens being so similar to the forest, but there’s something symbolic about crossing that threshold that’s still exhilarating to Kihyun.

Kihyun turns back to Hoseok with a grin. “Let us go explore.”

 

* * *

 

After wandering around the forest for a bit, listening to Hoseok tell him funny stories about some of the things the guards have got up to at points, Kihyun feels a bit better. He still doesn’t want to go back to the palace, though, so he asks Hoseok to hang back a bit while he meets up with Jooheon.

As Kihyun approaches the familiar clearing, a small smile comes to his face. Although there’s a pretty high chance that Jooheon won’t even be here, even the possibility of seeing him is enough to improve Kihyun’s mood. He’s still not in the greatest mood and he’s not feeling up for talking, so if Jooheon is here Kihyun will just have to hope that he doesn’t mind doing all the talking for the both of them.

Much to Kihyun’s surprise, Jooheon is sitting on the rock reading a book. 

“Jooheon?” Kihyun calls as he approaches.

Jooheon looks up and when his eyes meet Kihyun’s a blinding smile breaks out over his face. “Hey, Kihyunnie. I missed you.”

“I did not think I would find you here,” Kihyun says as he joins Jooheon on the rock. As usual, they have to be pressed close together to fit, but Kihyun finds that he enjoys it more and more. 

“I thought I’d come read here in case you came,” Jooheon says as he holds up his book.

Kihyun hums an acknowledgement. He leans back on the rock slightly and looks up to the sky. It’s a clear sky, not a cloud to be seen, but still Kihyun can’t help but sigh.

“What’s up?” Jooheon asks.

“Family stuff,” Kihyun replies vaguely. It’s not that he doesn’t want to tell Jooheon about what’s going on, but he just doesn’t have the energy to come up with a believable lie to cover up the truth about who he is. Kihyun hates referring to it as a lie, but that’s the reality. He’s lying to Jooheon, even if he doesn’t want to be, but who knows how much trouble he’d get in if he were to admit the truth, or even if Jooheon would believe him. He trusts Jooheon completely, even if he’s only known him for a short time, but there’s still that fear about the possibility of his identity being leaked and what his father would do to him if that were to happen that keeps Kihyun from spilling the truth. One day he’ll be able to tell Jooheon who he is and he can only hope that Jooheon will forgive him for keeping it a secret for so long. “I do not have much to say, but I wanted to come and see you anyway.”

“That’s okay. I can talk enough for both of us, or we can sit in silence if you prefer.”

And that’s why Kihyun trusts Jooheon, because he’s always thinking about what’s good for Kihyun and making him feel comfortable and happy. “Tell me something you have done recently,” Kihyun requests. If there’s an opportunity to learn more about Jooheon, then he’s going to take it.

“Well, I’ve just been helping out my mother with her jewellery,” Jooheon says. “Oh, actually, that reminds me. I wanted to thank you for whoever it was that you told about her jewellery as the other day Prince Minhyuk came by and purchased a few pieces for much higher than she sells them for. She was so overwhelmed and happy that she’s been talking to me about it for days, and sales have gone up so much. It’s so nice to see her happy and now there have been so many more sales than usual due to the Prince’s purchase. So, thank you, Kihyunnie, you really helped us out.”

Kihyun smiles and bows his head. “I am glad to have helped.” He’d forgotten all about even mentioning it to Minhyuk. He’d brought it up the previous week and shown Minhyuk the bracelet he was gifted, saying that it came from Hyungwon, and Minhyuk had instantly fallen in love and insisted that he buy some pieces for himself. Kihyun had never followed up on it and it had slipped his mind until Jooheon brought it up.

“I can’t believe you managed to get word back to the  _ Prince _ about my mother’s jewellery,” Jooheon says excitedly. “He was so very kind about it, too. I think he’ll make a great King one day.”

“Mm, I do, too,” Kihyun agrees. Too much talk of his family is an uncomfortable territory for Kihyun, so he switches the topic conversation to a different one. “What is the book you are reading?”

“Oh, let me tell you all about it. It’s  _ so _ good.”

And so Kihyun listens as Jooheon rambles about the books he’s recently read and his favourite books ever, making mental notes of the recommendations to read later on.

 

* * *

 

“You’re in a much better mood,” Hoseok comments as they enter through the back gate to return to the palace. “Your new friend must really be good for you.”

“Am I?” Kihyun asks. He hadn’t really thought about how much his mood had improved by spending time with Jooheon, but thinking about it now he realises he’d forgotten all about what had happened with his father because he’d been too focused on listening to what Jooheon had to say. “Huh, I guess I am,” he concludes.

“I should probably get back to helping the others,” Hoseok says as they walk through the gardens. “Would you like me to walk you back to your room?”

“No, I am okay, go ahead. Thank you for escorting me,” Kihyun says with a bow.

“It’s still weird having a Prince bow at me,” Hoseok says in amusement and bows back. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye.” Kihyun waves as he watches Hoseok leave, all the way up until he’s no longer in Kihyun’s sight.

Rather than heading back into the palace right away, Kihyun decides to spend some time out in the gardens. He hasn’t been doing it much recently, not now that he knows a way out of the palace and everything out there is all new and exciting compared to the gardens that he’s spent the last twenty years of his life in, but being back here reminds him of how much he truly loves the gardens. 

As he wanders through, admiring each of the plants and flowers, checking them for any problems (even if that is their gardener’s job), he reminisces about some of his favourite times in the gardens.

The first that comes to mind is back when he and Minhyuk were a lot younger and would play silly games out in the gardens where they’d chase each other around and attempt to catch each other. They used to do it inside the palace, but it ended up disturbing the staff too much, so they instead resorted to playing in the gardens instead, and Kihyun thinks that’s the reason he truly fell in love with nature. Spending every day out surrounded by the flowers and trees, the birds singing and flying overhead, made Kihyun realise that nature is where he wants to be. Not inside the palace, but outside where everything is natural and organic. 

He started helping the gardener out soon after that, spending his days assisting with pulling out weeds, watering the flowers, doing general overview and maintenance to make sure everything was kept in perfect condition. 

Even though he doesn’t do it as often now, Kihyun still likes to come out and appreciate the hard work that the gardener puts in to make the gardens so beautiful, and if Kihyun occasionally sneaks out some of Hyunwoo’s pastries to give to him, well, that’s for them to know and no one else.

As Kihyun reaches the palace door, he turns back and takes one last look around the gardens with a smile.

 

* * *

 

When Kihyun enters the kitchen to thank Hyunwoo for the pastry he made earlier, the last thing he expects to see is Hyunwoo and Hyungwon cooking together.

“What is going on here?” Kihyun asks, startling both of them into turning around.

While Hyunwoo just looks happy, Hyungwon looks sheepish and it only makes Kihyun more suspicious of him. He narrows his eyes at his friend, but Hyungwon just looks away.

“We’re cooking,” Hyunwoo answers, gesturing to the hob with pots and pans with what looks like many different dishes in them.

“I expected to come in here and see you cooking,” Kihyun says to Hyunwoo. Then, he says pointedly to Hyungwon, “However I did not expect to see you cooking as you cannot cook.”

Hyungwon sinks back against the counter like he’s trying to make himself small. “I wanted to learn.”

Kihyun’s still suspicious of this, but he decides not to say anything else, because as nosy and curious as he is and as much fun as it can be to tease Hyungwon, he doesn’t want to make his clearly uncomfortable friend even more uncomfortable. “Can I learn to cook?” Kihyun asks instead.

“The King is in the other room,” Hyunwoo warns.

“I do not care. Show me what to do.”

So Hyunwoo shows Kihyun some of the basics of cooking and lets him try the soup as they add in different spices and herbs until Kihyun finds a combination of flavours he’s completely satisfied with, and once they’re done Hyunwoo leaves to go serve the food to the King as is his job.

With Hyunwoo out of the room, Kihyun rounds on Hyungwon. “Would you like to tell me why you are really cooking? Because I know you and I know this is unlike you.”

Hyungwon looks reluctant, but he sighs and admits, “I wanted to impress Hyunwoo.”

“Oh, but Hyunwoo already likes you and is your friend?” Kihyun responds. 

“No, I know, but, like, ugh—” Hyungwon groans and buries his head in his hands. “Don’t make me say it.”

Kihyun has no idea what he’s not meant to make Hyungwon say, so he just frowns and pats Hyungwon’s shoulder. “I do not understand, but I support you.”

Hyungwon looks up and stares at Kihyun like he’s trying to figure something out.

Kihyun simply stares back. This whole conversation is very confusing.

Then, Hyungwon laughs and rolls his eyes. “I see. I see.”

“You see what?”

“Oh, nothing,” Hyungwon teases. He taps Kihyun’s nose with a grin. “Don’t you worry.”

Kihyun pouts and crosses his arms. “I am not enjoying this conversation.”

“It’s okay, Ki, one day you’ll understand.”

Kihyun lunges forward like he’s going to do something to Hyungwon and it sends Hyungwon running past him to the other side of the kitchen, which prompts Kihyun to chase him and the two end up running around the kitchen after each other laughing and panting.

“I’m not sure the kitchen is the appropriate place for chasing one another when there’s hot food everywhere,” Hyunwoo scolds, but there’s a note of amusement in his voice. “Don’t come crying to me when something spills on one of you.”

So, the two of them stop running at the prospect of one of them getting injured and both collapse to the floor in exhaustion. 

“I do not think I can ever run again,” Kihyun complains.

“Now you know how it feels to be me running after you all the time,” Hyungwon jokes.

Kihyun throws a balled up napkin at Hyungwon’s head and whines at him about being a terrible assistant. 

Over Hyungwon’s head Kihyun sees Hyunwoo roll his eyes fondly at the two of them and it makes Kihyun smile. Despite what his father might think about him befriending the staff and spending all his time joking around with them, Kihyun realises that doesn’t matter to him. His friends are important to him, regardless of who they are or what their job might be, and Kihyun wouldn’t change that for anything in the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote a [side fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22956436) for this!!! its abt minhyuk n hoseok and its not necessary to read it but i thought id mention it in case anyone wants to know their story hehe

**Author's Note:**

> kudos & comments give me life <3
> 
> twitter: [@changkihyks](http://twitter.com/changkihyks/)  
> [update schedule](http://changkihyuks.carrd.co/#schedule)


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